Tube expander



T. J. DIXON.

TUBE EXPANDER. APPLICAT|QN FILED 1ULY23, 1920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET THOMAS J. DIXON T. J. DIXON.

TUBE EXPANDER. APPLICATION FILED .IULY23, 1920. I 1,412,277. PatentedApr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- THoMAsd. DIXON I'I/IIIIIIII UNITED STATES THOMAS J.DIXON, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN.

TUBE EXPANDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed July 23, 1920. Serial No. 398,463.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, THOMAS J. DIXON, a citizen of the United States,res1d1ng at Madison, in the county of Dane and State 'ing or flaring thetube end outside the tube sheet at the same time that the tube is beingexpanded in the tube sheet and capable of being so manipulated wherebythe usual or extra process of bending or flaring the end of the tubewith a hammer or like implement, after it has'been expanded, preparatoryto bending the tube, is eliminated.

\Vith other objects in view that will hereinafter be brought out, myinvention comprehends an implement or tool of the char acter andpurposes stated, of a relative sim ple and inexpensive constructionandwhich embodies the peculiar features and novel arrangement of parts,all of which will be fully mentioned in the following detaileddescription, be specifically pointed out in the appended claim and areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved construction oftool or implement for flaring and expanding boiler tubes and itillustrates a preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved tube flaring and expandingtool, the mandrel being omitted.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal section of a portion of the tool andillustrates the operative relation of one of the expanding rollers and acooperating flaring roller or disk.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of my improved construction of tubeexpanding and flaring tool taken substantially on the line 4% on Figure2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of one of the expander rollers thatworks independent of the flaring rollers or disk, the holding frametherefor, and the spring clamp that secures the holder within the casingbody or shell, the stop shoulder feature being also shown in this view.

l igure (3 is a detail perspective view of one of the spring clampshereinafter referred to.

Figure '7' is a plan view of a shell or casing shaped for receiving animproved arrangement of tube expanding and end flarmg means.

Figures 8 and 9 are detail sectional elevations that illustrate slightlydifferent forms of mounting the expanding and flaring disk.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are detail views of further modificationshereinafter specifically mentioned.

In my present construction of tool for expanding and flaring tube ends,as in my patented expander before referred to, the siell 3, in which theexpanding and flaring elements are mounted, is made for an auto maticfeed and it has a number of (preferably three) radial straight slots iwhich are diagonally arranged with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe tube, as is best shown in Figure 7.

' The expanding rollers 2-2, in my present construction of tool, eachhave a centrai bearing 5 at each end for engaging the bearing boxes 6-6that fit into and are freely siidable in the opposite ends of theradialslotsH.

Ushaped spring clamps 91 are also provided, in my present invention, forengaging the shell 3 and holding the rollers 2-2 under tension and inthe inwardly drawn position, the operation of-the several partsinent-ioned'being similar to the like parts in my patented tool beforereferred to.

My present invention in its essential features, differs from my patentedtool in that a simple and effective means is provided for bending orflaring the end of the tube as it is being expanded by feeding themandrel inwardly and as the shell is being turned, as it is being fedforwardly within the tube end.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 3 of the drawings, it will benoticed a roller or disk 7 having a tapered or flared peripheral face 70is mounted within the radial slot i adjacent the outer end of the roller2.

The disk roller 7 has a minimum diameter equal the diameter of theadjacent roller 2 and its peripheral edge is so beveled or flaredexpanding roller 2.

By reason of providing a flaring disk 7 within the slot 4: and locatedat the outermost end of. the roller 2, it "follows that as the'expandingroller about reaches the limit of the inward feed of the cage or shell3, the disk roller 7 is caused to engage the outer edge of the open endof the tube and as the cage is further fed into the tube, it bends up rflares the said end in the manner clearly understood from Figures 3 and4 of the drawings.

In practice, a flaring disk need be, it desired, provided forcooperating with but one of the expanding rollers and, when thusapplied, the disk 7 has a su'fliciently large aperture 72 to permit itto rotate freely around the center bearing of the adjacent end of theroller 2, when arranged as in Figure 3.

If desired, the disk 7 may have an axial stud bearing 75 for engaging asocket 76 in the-roller bearing box, as shown in Figure 12, and again aplain roller disk 7 may be used, as shown-in Figure 11, in which theshell slot is-shown peened where it receives the flaring disk roller 7to prevent the said flaring roller or disk from 'l allingin .or out.

In my present construction of tube manipulating tool, those slots 4 inwhich only the expanding rollers are held have their inner end 30 formedwith a radially extended stop shoulder 31, the purpose of said shoulders31 being to stop the further inteed of the cage after the flaring disk 7shall have .flnished the operation of bending up or flaring the tube endat whlch time the rear edge of the disk 7 will be flush with the outeredge of the tube and the shoulder 31 of the cage in position forengaging with theflared tube end to operate as a stop.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, itis believed the complete construct-ion, the manner of operation and theadvantages of my invention will be readily understood by those familiarwith the use of tools or implements for shaping up the ends of boilertubes.

To operate my present invention, the tool is placed in the boiler to apoint where the inner or smaller diameter of the disk 7 comes intocontact with the end of the tube, the mandrel l is then placed betweenthe expanding rollers 2 and the rotary motion is started.

The self-feeding action on the mandrel and the rollers 2 forces theshell or roller holder further into the tube thereby causing the flaringroller or disk 7 to be drawn fan ther into the tube, also, it; beingapparent from the drawings thatthe flaring roller or :disk 7 beingtapered, in being forced further llltO the tube. while 1t revolves,flares or bonds the end ofthe tube back, as shown.

Thetube is then ready for beading. Providing the tube with expandingrollers and one or more flaring disks, as shown and described, itfollows that the tube is expanded :into the tube head and, under thesame operation, its outer end is flared ready for beading.

vv hen the flaring roller 2 and the box 6 are arranged as in Figure 9,apin 50 is connected with that end o f-the roller 2 adjacent the flaringdisk 7, passes through the aperturein the disk 7 and into a suitablesocket in the adjacent box 6. The said pin con- .nection 50 serves tohold the flaring disk .beingloosely mounted on the said journal,

that'end of the. expanding roller engaging the disk being bevelledwhereby to hold the disk at an angle with respect to said expand-- ingroller and with its inner edge in a plane with themandrel engagingsurface of the expanding roller and its outer edge projected outwardlyat an angle with respect to the tube engagmg surface of the roller to.

flarethe outer edge of the tube, a tapering mandrel and tension devicesengaging the tubular body and with opposite bearing boxes tending tonormally move the expanding roller and theflaring disk against the tubebeing worked.

7 THOMAS J. DIXON.

